Author: RV Staff

By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician There are many hitch-mounted bike racks and cargo trays and boxes for the back of your car and truck, but they mount using a trailer hitch — which you don’t have for the back of your trailer. Adding these racks to the square bumper on the back is dangerous because it’s not designed to...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician Many RVers have a silent, black, smelly enemy — mildew. Mildew is a form of mold that eats organic materials. It is a sign of moisture and water intrusion in the RV and can do a lot of damage. Mildew spores are everywhere and require specific conditions to grow. Unfortunately, if your RV has...
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By Chuck Woodbury RVtravel.com For a semi-geeky guy like me, this electric jacket from Milwaukee Tools is about as good as a jacket gets. At the push of a button the Milwaukee M12 Cordless Heated Jacket warms up to keep you toasty. The rechargeable M12 red lithium battery will power the jacket for up to six hours. Separate buttons control...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV Technician Dumping your holding tanks is as much about art as science. If you want to know if your tanks are absolutely clean, the only way to know is to be able to visualize what’s coming out. Okay, I know this sounds gross — and it is! But please believe me, if you have a...
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Have you ever changed your RV’s or tow’s engine oil? You know what a mess that can be, unscrewing the drain plug from the oil pan and having hot and messy engine oil drain out all over your hands. Not pleasant, even with surgical gloves on. And if you’ve never considered changing the oil because of the mess, who could...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician There are many different types of materials in an RV, from flooring to wood products, plastics to metals. Having the appropriate ways to join these materials can go a long way to a professional-quality and lasting repair. RV Goop — This universal adhesive is great to have as it will bond and seal most...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician I like a clean RV and anything to help make that process easier is on my radar. My years in the fire service taught me how to clean big rigs, and one of the best tools we had was a wash brush on a stick! Not just any brush, however, and while a plain...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician It really doesn’t matter what form of “transportation” you use, breakdowns happen. Whether it’s a car, plane, cruise ship, yacht or RV, you have to be prepared for the possibility that you might get stuck on your vacation. As Forrest Gump said, “It happens.” I have had a number of breakdowns over the years...
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By Chris Dougherty Certified RV technician I get questions all the time regarding RV temperatures. People ask about their heating and air conditioning, their wheel and brake temperatures, refrigerator temperatures, oven temperatures . . . you get the point. A quick and easy way to see various temperatures is to use an infrared thermometer. These battery-powered units fit easily...
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By Russ and Tiña De Maris RVing can be a lot like checking out the swimming pool. Some folks are brazen enough to launch themselves out into the water like a cannon ball, others gingerly stick their toes in the water and make a gradual immersion. If you want to try out the RV lifestyle without major financial risk, consider...
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Of all the public lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has some of the best parks and campgrounds available. In fact, they’re the largest federal provider of outdoor recreation in the nation. This guide is perfect for RVers because all the hike-in, boat-in and tent only camping areas are not included, making it very easy to locate campgrounds that can accommodate RVs. Learn more or order.

Essential for big rig owners!

If you drive a big RV then the 2018 Rand McNally Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas will be a big help keeping you away from low bridges and narrow roads. The atlas is an essential aid even if you have a GPS! Covers USA, Canada & Mexico. Learn more or order

2017 Next Exit The Next Exit contains the most complete listings of services found at USA Interstate highway exits in print. Gas, food, campgrounds, shopping, points of interest and much more. Lightweight, easy to use listings of every major USA Interstate highway exit. Find everything you need in the windshield, not the rear view mirror.Learn more or order.

Secrets of RVing on Social SecurityAuthor Jerry Minchey takes you on a journey that lets you discover how you can travel around the country and live the fascinating RV lifestyle for far less than it costs to live in your sticks-and-bricks home. Among other things, he shows you step-by-step how to enjoy the RVing lifestyle while traveling and living on just your Social Security income. Learn more or order.

Best resource for free and bargain camping for RVers For many RVers, spending $30 to $50 a night to stay in an RV park is too much. Does staying free or nearly free sound better? Then you need OvernightRVparking, the best source of free and inexpensive places to stay with an RV. More than 13,500 locations are listed. Watch a video about this valuable resource. Free Demo shows how it works, just CLICK HERE.

By Greg Illes For many years, we lived with our factory Formica countertop. It was — well, serviceable is about the best I can say. Drab-to-ugly is more honest. We thought about Corian and some other products, but either expense or weight were big obstacles. Finally, I “bit...

By Russ and Tiña De Maris For years we’ve been talking to the bully pulpit to preach the importance of knowing your weight ratings and scrupulously sticking to them. I don’t know how many obviously overloaded rigs we’ve seen in campgrounds and on highways – sometimes broken...

Should an RV park that has an insect or dangerous reptile problem provide that information when a camper places a reservation? That’s what this reader asks. The answer, it seems to me, is to do some checking before making the reservation. A critter problem may be present one...

I recently wrote about how at RVtravel.com we do not accept paid content, even though we receive, almost daily, requests from advertising and PR agencies to “plant” their stories on our website and pass them...

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RVtravel.com and its weekly newsletter (now in its 16th year) are headquartered in Edmonds, Wash., just north of Seattle. Learn more about us including our history, our staff and our plans for the future.

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RV parts and Accessories at Amazon.comDid you know that Amazon.com has one of the largest — if not THE largest — selection of RV parts and accessories anywhere? Not only is the selection vast, but the prices great.

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Boondockers Welcome members can connect with fellow RVers across the country who invite them to be a guest on their private property for a night or two. Meet locals with a common interest. Share experiences. Arrange safe, legal, free overnight RV parking all the way to your destination. Learn more.

This is not a real train. It’s a model at the AACA auto museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The train exhibit is pretty much a side show. The museum itself is superb. If you love old cars and automotive history, you...

By Gail Meyring Typically when I buy cleaning products I look for something that’s environmentally friendly such as Mrs. Meyers or Seventh Generation All-Purpose Natural Cleaners. These products say they’re tough on dirt and cut through grease...

Mike, I was reading an article you wrote about 30A pedestals. I’ve just purchased a piece of land and there’s a new 30A RV outlet. The problem is that the plug is 90 feet away from my RV parking. I’m trying to keep it near the connection to the septic system. The RV is a 30A travel trailer with...

Dear RV Shrink: We were recently camping in Yellowstone in one of our favorite, usually quiet campgrounds. Unfortunately, we ended up next to a lovely couple with a very noisy generator. I don’t think it even had a...

Here’s a question from a reader of RVtravel.com about boondocking. Hi Bob, Several times while traveling I’ve noticed areas of land that appear to be government property (no development), some without signage and others stating they are a...

You may not have thought about it, but that slideout on your RV that makes your living space so roomy can also be your enemy. Find out why in this short video from RVtravel.com editor Chuck Woodbury. What...

Should an RV park that has an insect or dangerous reptile problem provide that information when a camper places a reservation? That’s what this reader asks. The answer, it seems to me, is to do some checking before making the reservation. A critter problem may be present one week and gone the next, or, in this case, the alligators may...

RVtravel.com contributor Gyro Gearloose (aka Wolfe Rose) reviews the Superbumper, and shows how his truck survived a rear-end collision with virtually no damage while the vehicle that hit him was totaled. The Superbumper is available from Mohr Manufacturing...

By Russ and Tiña De Maris For years we’ve been talking to the bully pulpit to preach the importance of knowing your weight ratings and scrupulously sticking to them. I don’t know how many obviously overloaded rigs we’ve seen in campgrounds and on highways – sometimes broken down as a result of failing to heed such advice. Every RV...

This excellent nine-minute video was recently posted by our friend Gyro Gearloose (aka Wolfe Rose). If you use a sway bar, keep in mind that each end of the sway bar MUST have the appropriate hitch pin installed...

Hi Gary, I have an older Nash 5th wheeler. I have one completely dead battery in it now. I want to replace it with two (Group 24) 12-volt batteries. I’m not sure how to hook them up. There is not enough room for two small 6-volt batteries,...

By Russ and Tiña De Maris RVing with a truck camper certainly has its advantages – but at times there are some drawbacks. Storage for some can be an issue. We’ve heard situations where a truck camper owner’s landlord wouldn’t permit him to off-load the camper and...

By Russ and Tiña De Maris Are you preparing to head out into the new world of full-time RVing? Congratulations! But if you’ve been a sticks-and-bricks dweller for many years, you’re probably face-to-face with a BIG problem: What do I do with all this stuff? Yep, accumulations of possessions...

Here is our monthly summary of RV recalls for March 2017 and related equipment we feel are of interest to our readers. This information has been gleaned from the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. This is NOT a complete list of all vehicles and related...

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